The Influence of Amazon In The E-Book Arena
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
Amazon have been very influential in the recent growth in popularity of both e-book readers and e-books. Amazon’s Kindle reader first appeared on the market during November of 2006 and further updates followed with the launch of the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 and the launch of the third generation Kindle in August 2010. The large display Kindle DX was released in the summer of 2009 and also had an upgrade in August 2010.
Many industry watchers predicted that, despite Amazon’s pivotal role in the development of the e-book reader market, the launch of the versatile Apple iPad would effectively sound the death knell for the Kindle. However, after the launch of the third generation Kindle – accompanied by a reduction in the retail price – Amazon has sold out of their readers again. On the face of it, demand seems to remain high for what has now become Amazon’s top selling product.
For some people, the transition to reading e-books has been easy. Others seem to be attached to physical books. However, for most people the ability to carry large quantities of books around with them, coupled with the ease of operation offered by e-book readers, has been a winning combination. Recent e-book reader price cuts, prompted or at least hastened by the launch of the iPad, have made e-book readers more attractive to many consumers.
Amazon recently advised that they are now selling more Kindle books than traditional hardback books. The lower sales price of e-books – which use no paper or ink and have no delivery fees to speak of – certainly helps. It can’t be very much longer before e-books begin to sell more than paperbacks.
As well as the price, the ease with which e-books can be bought is another influencing factor. Readers can download a book to their Kindle in less than sixty seconds, at any time of the day or night, just as long as they can connect to Amazon’s Kindle store.
One potential area of concern for many prospective customers was a reluctance to be “tied” to one particular brand of e-reader. This issue has been very effectively addressed by Amazon who have released a large number of free “apps” to allow Kindle books to be read on a wide range of different devices. Currently, Kindle books can be read on the Mac, the PC, the iPhone, the iPad, the Blackberry smart phone and any device which uses the Android operating system. It’s actually a clever strategy by Amazon. Not only does it address customer’s concerns about being tied to one particular brand of hardware but every new app acts as a separate retail outlet for Amazon’s massive selection of Kindle books. Currently, approximately 20% of all Kindle book sales are destined to be read on non-Kindle hardware.
All things considered, it looks like e-books are here to stay and that they will gradually account for a higher and higher percentage of book sales. It also looks likely that Amazon will remain as one of the driving forces in the digital publishing arena for some time to come.
The New Amazon Kindle 3 Is Finally Launched
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
It’s been a long time coming – or at least that’s how it feels – but Amazon has finally unveiled its new, upgraded and enhanced Kindle reader. Dubbed the third generation Kindle by Amazon, there are a variety of improvements.
The latest enhancements on display in the Kindle 3 seem likely to appeal to most e-book reader fans. It keeps the same 6” e-ink technology screen, but the display’s contrast has been improved by 50%, which should make reading even better. The speed of page turns, already good for the Kindle 2.0, is now a full 20% faster.
The outside dimensions of the reader are reduced by 21% and the weight is just 8.7 ozs – 15% lighter. Battery life with the Wi-Fi off is now a month, and even with Wi-Fi turned on a ten day life is expected. On board memory capacity has been raised from 2 to 4 GB, sufficient for approximately 3,500 books. The new Kindle is lighter, smaller, has a better display, a longer battery life and lets users take a small personal library with them when they are out and about. What else could you ask for in a mobile electronic device?
For many, a color screen would have been one item on their wish list. Amazon have been dedicating a lot of resource to the development of a color e-ink technology screen – but it is not quite ready for commercial release just at the moment. Perhaps this might be incorporated in the next Kindle 4 release. Some users may have liked to see the inclusion of an SD slot for memory expansion. Nevertheless, considering that the memory capacity is now at 4GB, most people won’t suffer too much as a consequence of this.
In addition to the various upgrades, Amazon have adjusted the price downwards and introduced a new Wi-Fi only model for those who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection. The new entry level Wi-Fi only model can be yours for $ 139, the Wi-Fi plus 3G model retails at $ 189. The new Kindle 3 now comes in graphite, the same as the new DX model, as well as the original white.
Amazon has also launched a dedicated UK Kindle store on their British website. UK consumers will no longer require to have their Kindles shipped from the States. To begin with the UK Kindle store will have 400,000 Kindle books on offer. It seems reasonable to suppose that Amazon may consider opening other dedicated Kindle stores for its other “local” websites in France, Germany etc. in the near future.
The Kindle 3 seems to be in high demand. Potential customers currently face a wait of around about 4 weeks before their readers are shipped. It may be that all the reports of the Kindle reader’s demise, brought about by the release of Apple’s iPad, were very premature. The new upgrades, the lower prices and the fact that there is no monthly payment for connectivity, will be very appealing to many consumers. It looks as though the launch of the third generation Kindle may serve as a timely reminder of just how influential Amazon are, and will continue to be, in the world of books in general and e-books in particular
The Amazon Kindle Remains In Demand
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
Whilst it seems certain that the release of the Apple iPad has had an impact upon sales of Amazon’s Kindle reader, the internet retail giant doesn’t appear to be overly concerned. Following another price cut and an upgrade, the 6″ version of the Kindle has now sold out. Amazon currently estimate that there will be a four to five week hiatus before any new readers are shipped out. The larger Kindle DX version is currently still available.
The newest Kindle version sees the physical size of the unit shrink (whilst maintaining the same display size), a 15% reduction in weight and quicker page turns. There is now twice as much memory, allowing 3,500 Kindle books to be stored. A new high contrast, low glare, e-ink technology display, coupled with a battery life of up to one month (with Wi-Fi turned off) means that the Kindle the is the ideal reading device, whether at home or whilst travelling.
Customers can now choose from either white or graphite colors and the standard unit comes with both Wi-Fi and free 3G connectivity. A cheaper Wi-Fi only reader is included as an option for the first time for users who don’t anticipate the need for a 3G connection.
Amazon will also be marketing the Kindle directly from some of its international sites – starting in the UK. UK consumers can now buy their Kindle direct from Amazon UK rather than having it shipped from the USA. A dedicated UK Kindle book store will be launched, and no doubt similar arrangements can be anticipated for Germany and France at some point in future.
Amazon recently announced that Kindle books were outselling hardback versions on their US web store . In the last month, Amazon has sold 180 Kindle books for every 100 traditional hard cover versions. They seem very confident that the future of reading is going to be digital – and these figures do seem to suggest that this is probable. E-book readers are, on a commercial basis at least, a fairly new development. On the basis of these figures, the reading public appears to have accepted e-book reader technology very rapidly.
Over the past few months, e-book reader prices have fallen significantly. The latest Kindle with 3G and Wi-Fi has a price of $ 189, which is significantly less than the $ 359 February 2009 launch price of the Kindle 2.0. At just $ 139, the price of the Wi-Fi only reader is getting into mp3 player territory. These prices may, or may not, have been driven down by the launch of the Apple iPad – but the hardware price was always going to fall, and it may yet have some way to go.
Whilst the cost of e-book reader hardware has been falling, the cost of the e-books themselves seems to have been edging upwards. This gives Amazon a very real competitive advantage over many of its competitors who are mainly interested in hardware manufacture and marketing. The huge library of Kindle books (over 630,000 at the moment and growing by the day) is a great asset for Amazon – as is the fact that, thanks to Amazon’s policy of releasing free Kindle “apps”, it’s possible to read (and buy) Kindle books on a wide range of different devices – such as the PC, the Mac, the Blackberry smart phone, the iPad, the iPhone and any device which runs Android. As the still developing e-book market matures and greater emphasis is placed on e-books as opposed to the hardware to read them on, Amazon appear to be very well placed to continue as the dominant player in the new electronic publishing world.
Newly Upgraded Kindle Reader Sales Stay High
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
Amazon is having a busy time of it at the moment. They have just announced the upgrade of their massively successful Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX readers and pre-order rates are extremely high right now. Stocks of the third generation 6” Kindle are depleted and customers are now pre-ordering to get their Kindle delivered, on a first-come-first-served basis, within four to five weeks.
This latest upgrade includes a higher contrast display, more memory, quicker page turns and color choice of graphite or white . The 6” display version also has 21% smaller body and is 15% lighter, at 8.7 oz. Amazon has also released an entry level Wi-Fi only model of the 6″ display Kindle for customers who do not have need of a 3G connection.
All of this is accompanied by a reduction in the selling price. The 6” Kindle version Wi-Fi only model retails at $ 139, with the 3G plus Wi-Fi model on sale for $ 189. The Kindle DX large display model can now be yours for $ 379. These represent significant price cuts when compared with the Kindle 2.0 launch $ 359 price and the recent DX model price of $ 489.
A lot has been made of the possible impact of the Apple iPad on Kindle reader sales figures. It may well be that the release of the iPad has prompted, or at least hastened, the latest round of e-book reader price reductions. However, the above prices are considerably lower than the entry level iPad price and, for a lot of customers, the fact that 3G is available with no monthly fee will be seen as a very positive aspect of the Kindle price plan.
Over and above the various upgrades to the hardware and the reduced prices, a dedicated UK Kindle store will be opened. Consumers in the UK will no longer require to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic. The UK Kindle store launches in August 2010 and will, initially, have in the region of 400,000 Kindle books on offer. It seems probable that other Amazon websites could have their own Kindle stores soon and that customers will be able to purchase their Kindles locally.
The recent price drop in the e-book reader market could well be a sign that the market, whilst still relatively young, is beginning to mature. Reduced hardware prices will change the emphasis from hardware sales towards the sale of the e-books themselves. Amazon, who have an interest in both hardware and book sales may be better placed than companies who are chiefly concerned with hardware manufacture and sales. Whatever the future brings, and it seems likely that the future of reading will have a strong digital element, it seems highly probable that Amazon are going to remain an extremely influential player in the development of the market.
E-book Readers Modifying The Way We Read
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
2009 was the year that e-book readers became hot news. Amazon released both the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle DX, which generated a real buzz around e-book readers in general and the Kindle reader in particular. Other manufacturers such as Sony and Barnes and Noble fought back with readers of their own – the Daily Edition and The Nook – whilst others, such as Apple and Microsoft worked hard to develop their own offerings for release in the near future.
E-book readers are essentially high tech electronic devices, so it’s quite natural to focus on the technical merits and demerits of the hardware involved. The Amazon Kindle has wireless connectivity, the Nook has a color screen, Sony’s Daily Edition lets you lend books to your friends – etc.
However, it may be worth considering that e-book readers may very possibly be the biggest thing to happen to reading – and publishing – since Gutenberg invented the printing press in 1440. The invention of the printing press allowed books to be mass produced on paper instead of vellum or parchment. It reduced the cost of books and, quite literally, placed them in the hands of the common man.
Since then, there have really been very few changes in the way that books are read. Certainly we have seen changes in printing technology – word processors and computers have made the existing process more efficient and cost effective. Nevertheless, the end result has been consistently the same. The books that we read consist of paper with text printed upon it in some form of binding.
And the consequence of the unchanging end product also restricts publishers. A physical product is produced – at some expense – which also needs to be delivered, either to the book store or by direct mail to the customer’s home.
E-book readers represent more than a way of performing the established process in a more efficient manner. They totally rewrite the rules, both for publishers and readers. For a start, the physical product (the book) is no longer required. This means that there is fewer materials are required. No paper, ink, chemicals, bindings etc. And in the absence of a physical product, there are no delivery costs.
The end result is that e-books are significantly cheaper to publish and deliver, and that they are – even considering the materials used in the e-book readers themselves – more environmentally friendly.
Publishers also have additional available options to enable them to market both authors and. For example, if a publisher wants to highlight a particular author, then they can offer a selection of their titles at very low prices – or even free – for a short period of time. Another technique which is growing in popularity is to make the first title in a series of books available free in the hope that the reader will buy subsequent titles or possibly other books by the same author. This would – just about – be possible with a conventional print run, but it would be a more costly, and much riskier, undertaking.
Amazon’s website has a (pleasantly) surprising number of free Kindle books on offer. Other Kindle books on the site generally offer the first chapter as a free download. Prospective readers can try before they buy. This may well encourage readers to experiment a little and perhaps to try authors that they wouldn’t normally choose.
The strong focus on the new, sexy, hardware is completely understandable. However, in the longer term it will be the increased marketing opportunities and the ease of access available to readers that will make the difference in the way books are both read and published in the near future.
The Advertising Technique Behind The Kindle’s Success
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
What do Stephen King, Hilary Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and Arnold Schwarzenegger have in common? Apart from being a bit scary of course. The answer is that they have all, in different ways, been the source of good publicity for the Amazon Kindle e-book reader.
Oprah was a fairly early adopter. As far back as 2008 she declared that the original Kindle was her “favorite new gadget”. She also interviewed Amazon founder and CEO, Jeff Bezos, on her show and gave the Kindle a glowing testimonial. It was a real shot in the arm for Amazon.
Worl best selling author, Stephen King, authored a special novella – “Ur” – to mark the release of Amazon’s second generation reader, the Kindle 2, in February 2009. The plot, without giving the story away, was centred of the Kindle itself and what happened when an English teacher bought a Kindle for himself after breaking up with his girlfriend. King read an extract from the book live on stage at the official launch of the Kindle 2. More good publicity for Amazon.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, in his role as Governor of California, initiated a program to make free digital textbooks available in Californian schools. The program, which has several stages, kicked off in August of 2009. It appeared that, at least as far as electronic textbooks were concerned, the future had arrived somewhat faster than many people expected it to. At the end of the day, if Arnie says that they’re a good idea who’s going to tell him he’s wrong?
Staying with the educational theme, the New Democratic Leadership Council, a Washington think-tank of which Hilary Clinton is a member, produced a white paper entitled “A Kindle In Every Backpack”. The paper outlined the benefits of introducing e-book readers and digital textbooks into the in the U.S. education system. Whilst the report acknowledged that other devices could be used the fact that the Kindle was referenced throughout the document, and even included in the title, was fantastic publicity for Amazon.
These are just four examples of the massive exposure the Kindle reader has managed to achieve. Over the course of 2009, the Kindle generated a huge amount of publicity, chiefly for itself but also for e-book readers in general. It’s not too hard to understand how the Kindle has managed to secure a 60% share of the e-book reader market in America.
Currently there is no shortage of companies with their own e-book readers on the market. Although some of these feature technical specs which, in some areas at least, outperforms Amazon’s Kindle, there just doesn’t seem to be the same buzz about any of them that existed, and to a large extent still exists, around the Kindle. It really is hard to imagine where the Kindle Killer is going to come from – unless Amazon release the Kindle 4 that is.
Consumer Electronics Show Has Special Area for E-Book Readers For The First Time
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
For the first time ever, the organisers of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), being held in Las Vegas, have set aside a special zone for e-book readers. Not without some justification – there are at least two dozen different manufacturers showcasing e-book readers at the show.
The increased level of awareness, both from the public and from electronics manufacturers is perfectly understandable. After all, 2009 was a bumper year for e-book readers. All the signs are that 2010 could be even bigger.
There’s little doubt that a great deal of the credit for this heightened awareness of e-book readers in 2009 must go to the Amazon Kindle reader. The Kindle 2.0 launch in February, swiftly backed up by the Kindle DX launch in June, created a large amount of publicity for e-book readers as a whole and for the Kindle in particular.
The Kindle quickly went on to become the top selling product on Amazon and, during the festive season of 2009, the Kindle became the most gifted item on Amazon. Sales of Kindle books made up 35% of all book sales (where a Kindle edition existed). On Christmas day 2009, for the first time ever, Amazon sold more Kindle books than traditional books.
Public demand, both for e-book readers and the e-books to read on them had been firmly established and now looks likely to enter a period of exponential growth.Right now, Amazon has a 60% share of the American market and Sony has 35%. Clearly there are many of other manufacturers who want a share of this new market. On the face of it, they will have a difficult time considering Amazon’s dominance – but the market is very new and changing and developing at breakneck speed. Exponential growth looks very likely in the near future and the right product at the right time could rewrite the rules overnight.
Electronics manufacturers are not the only businesses interested in the growth and development of the e-book reader market. Independent manufacturers who produce various accessories – reading lights (e-book readers are not back-lit),chargers, covers, screen protectors etc. – also stand to benefit from a market that, until very recently, simply did not exist. At the moment, Kindle accessories are, understandably, the most common, but as new readers begin to make inroads in the market these will, no doubt, also be catered for.
2010 will be a big year both for e-books and e-book readers. Next year’s Consumer Electronics shows will certainly incorporate a dedicated e-book reader section – but it will probably be considerably larger in size compared with this year.
Kindle E-Book Reader’s Success Is Due To Various Factors
by tkahuna2
Filed under Massage Chair Review
Amazon has had a great deal of success with its Kindle e-book reader family. It’s the number one selling product on Amazon’s website right now. The Kindle accounts for 60% of all American e-book reader sales and both the Kindle 2.0 and its larger sibling the DX are now on sale to customers in more than 100 countries worldwide – growing Amazon’s reach and hugely increasing their potential customer base.
Right now, Amazon’s main competition is Sony – with a35% share of the American e-book reader market. However, there are a host of other companies who have witnessed the rapid growth of the e-book reader sector and now want a piece of the action. This year’s Consumer Electronics Show (CES) had a separate section for e-book readers for the first time ever. Over two dozen companies – some of them household names, others less well known – had e-book readers on display. This is a strong indicator of the perceived potential in the market.
What many of these aspiring manufacturers seem to have failed to notice is the fact that the technical aspects of the hardware, whilst undoubtedly important, are part of the big picture. The success which Amazon has enjoyed with the Kindle reader thus far has been due to diverse factors over and above its proven technical features. Amazon enjoys an almost unique position which affords it significant competitive advantages when it comes to marketing both e-book readers and the e-books to use on them.
Amazon is, lest we forget, the biggest retailer of books on the face of the planet – bar none. In the eyes of the buying public, it therefore enjoys a very strong association with books. It also has a strong association with consumer electronic devices – as a merchant perhaps – but there is a strong perceived relationship nonetheless. In any event, the Kindle has now established Amazon’s credentials as a manufacturer (although they subcontract the manufacture) in a big way.
So, in reality, those manufacturers who imagine that they are going to steal Amazon’s crown just by producing a reader which has a few extra technical features than the Kindle, or is a little bit, are probably going to get an unpleasant surprise when the sales returns start rolling in. It probably requires another instantly recognisable household name who is both trusted and respected to make any serious impact on the market right now. Companies such as Microsoft or Apple would be prime contenders – and they both have their own readers, or devices which could be used to read e-books at least, in development.With their already established association with e-books – and their already respectable market share – it would also be unwise to discount Sony.Barnes and Noble could also be a contender.
One thing’s certain, no small electronics company is going to break Amazon’s stranglehold on the market. Partnerships, such as Plastic Logic’s agreement with Barnes and Noble, who will provide the books for the Que reader, might produce some surprises. However, unless there is a truly surprising development in the offing, it seems as if the Kindle reader really is set to become the literary world’s equivalent of the iPod.